Wednesday, 11 October 2017

Be-Bop Deluxe

Across their five studio albums, Be-Bop Deluxe existed at the meeting point of a veritable Venn Diagram of musical styles and influences. From the glam infused art-rock of 1974's 'Axe Victim' and the following year's 'Futurama', through the prog-lite of their two 1976 LP's 'Sunburst Finish' and 'Modern Music' to the final, new wave inspired swansong that was 'Drastic Plastic' in 1978. For all this apparent stylistic chopping and changing, Bill Nelson's songs were consistently accessible and often downright catchy. Take 'Maid in Heaven' from 'Futurama' for instance - 2½ minutes of pop perfection.

Ah. much love for Bill Nelson in all of his incarnations. I maintain that Be-Bop Deluxe was one of those bands who were ahead of their zeitgeist, though they were far more successful that others I could point to in a similar way. They perhaps got tarred with a glam/prog brush that was less than kind. What I found them to be was something else: art rock, which is a distinct thread from prog in my view. Like others I could point to [Ultravox!] Be-Bop Deluxe was a harbinger of Post-Punk. Players who had the requisite art school background to inform their directions who were accomplished but were not constrained by technique for its own sake. I recently got the BBC '74-'78 box set and it's tremendous. Memo to self: I need to watch the DVD in that one!